The Golden Retriever

Golden Retriever
What’s my history?: It all began for us with the mating of a yellow wavy-coated retriever with a spaniel followed by further mating with more setters and retrievers. The result was known as the Retriever, with the Golden bit being added around 1920. Since then we’ve maintained our popularity as a pet but also proved invaluable for retrieving game, detecting drugs and explosives as well as acting as guide dogs.

What do I look like?: Without wishing to sound boastful you are probably fairly familiar with us! Naturally, we are golden in colour and are typically found wagging our tail or smiling. The Golden Retriever coat is wavy and well-feathered, the undercoat is dense and water-resistant. Our head is broad and deep with a black nose and dark brown eyes. Ears are moderately large and hang flat. Our tail is used for steering when we’re swimming – something we’re particularly good at.

What do I need from you?: We’re an extremely easy breed to own and rear, so our needs are relatively low. Naturally we need to be trained but our intelligence and natural ability make us easy to train. Obesity is a common problem for us because we love to eat! This means owners should limit our food to a level that keeps us healthy. Three to four cups of food a day should be sufficient depending on the food and how active we are able to be.

What I will give in return: Our easy-going, friendly and patient temperament is recognised the world over. The Golden Retriever is perhaps the most trusted of all breeds around children, strangers and other animals. It is simply not in our nature to be aggressive. We make a loyal pet for a family or a single owner. We are also a willing surrogate to other animals and are capable of adopting other pets as our own. We can be used for all manner of activities. However one role we are not suited to is guard dog. We are unlikely to view any intruder as a threat. Our tail is a great barometer to our mood and it is mostly wagging with delight.

How big will I get?: We grow to around 22in-24in (56cm-61cm) and weight between 60lb-80lb (27kg-36kg).

How long should I be around for?: Our common lifespan is 10 to 12 years.

How big is our litter?: The average Golden Retriever litter size is 8 puppies.

Famous owners?: Renee Zellweger, Mary Tyler Moore, Jimmy Buffet and former US president Gerald Ford.

What's my history?

It all began for us with the mating of a yellow wavy-coated retriever with a spaniel followed by further mating with more setters and retrievers. The result was known as the Retriever, with the Golden bit being added around 1920. Since then we’ve maintained our popularity as a pet but also proved invaluable for retrieving game, detecting drugs and explosives as well as acting as guide dogs.

What do I look like?

Without wishing to sound boastful you are probably fairly familiar with us! Naturally, we are golden in colour and are typically found wagging our tail or smiling. The Golden Retriever coat is wavy and well-feathered, the undercoat is dense and water-resistant. Our head is broad and deep with a black nose and dark brown eyes. Ears are moderately large and hang flat. Our tail is used for steering when we’re swimming – something we’re particularly good at.

What do I need from you?

We’re an extremely easy breed to own and rear, so our needs are relatively low. Naturally we need to be trained but our intelligence and natural ability make us easy to train. Obesity is a common problem for us because we love to eat! This means owners should limit our food to a level that keeps us healthy. Three to four cups of food a day should be sufficient depending on the food and how active we are able to be.

What I will give in return

Our easy-going, friendly and patient temperament is recognised the world over. The Golden Retriever is are perhaps the most trusted of all breeds around children, strangers and other animals. It is simply not in our nature to be aggressive. We make a loyal pet for a family or a single owner. We are also a willing surrogate to other animals and are capable of adopting other pets as our own. We can be used for all manner of activities. However one role we are not suited to is guard dog. We are unlikely to view any intruder as a threat. Our tail is a great barometer to our mood and it is mostly wagging with delight.

How big will I get?

We grow to around 22in-24in (56cm-61cm) and weight between 60lb-80lb (27kg-36kg).

How long should I be around for?

Our common lifespan is 10 to 12 years.

How big is our litter?

The average Golden Retriever litter size is 8 puppies.

Famous owners?

Renee Zellweger, Mary Tyler Moore, Jimmy Buffet and former US president Gerald Ford.

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Disclaimer: the views expressed on this page and any comments below are only a guide to typical traits and views on the breed. Individual circumstance and traits will always vary so we can be in no way responsible for any of the information provided.